Caravan

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a caravan of the type having one or a plurality of retractable rooms which project relative to the caravan side walls, when said caravan is stopped, in such a way as to increase the living space thereof without increasing the caravan dimension when said caravan is hauled.

United States Patent Inventor Jacques Cuylits Brussels, Belgium Appl. No. 27,261 Filed Apr. 10, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 Assignee S.A. Ateliers Belges Reunis Petit-Enghien, Belgium CARAVAN 12 Claims, 16 Drawing Figs.

U.S. C1 52/66, 52/68, 52/69, 52/79, 135/1 A, 135/5 A, 296/23 G, 296/26 Int. Cl E041) l/344, E04b 1/347, 860p 3/34 Field of Search 52/64, 69,

73, 79, 63, 68, 66, 70; 296/26, 23 D, 23 F, 23 G; 135/1 A, 5 A

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 862,573 8/1907 Paxton et a1. 52/69 1,153,292 9/1915 Downey 52/69 2,155,876 4/1939 Stout 52/73 2,368,936 2/1945 McGchee. 52/68 3,511,529 5/1970 Cutsinger 52/69 Primary Examiner- Frank L. Abbott Assistant Examiner- Leslie A. Braun Altorney- Young & Thompson ABSTRACT: This disclosure relates to a caravan of the type having one or a plurality of retractable rooms which project relative to the caravan side walls, when said caravan is stopped, in such a way as to increase the living space thereof without increasing the caravan dimension when said caravan is hauled.

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PATENIEB Jun 1 1972 SHEET U [1F 7 La n I E 2 PATENIEI] JAN I I I972 SHEET 6 BF 7 JACQUES Cuy4/7s PAIENTED Jun 1 m2 SHEET 7 OF 7 7 1 6 m 4 s m in dncauas C an /715 CARAVAN SUMMARY The invention has for object to provide improvements which make easier the operations for extending the additional rooms.

The invention has also for object improvements which make it impossible for persons who have no access to the caravan inside, to change the position given to those elements which comprise the retractable rooms, when said rooms are in exten- SIOI'I.

Other details and features of the invention will stand out from the description given below by way of nonlimitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 4 are diagrammatic perspective views showing a caravan with retractable rooms according to the invention, in various positions of one of said retractable rooms.

FIG. 5 is a somewhat less diagrammatic perspective view, on another scale and with parts broken away, of the caravan.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic horizontal section view of the caravan shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows in the lower part thereof an elevation view and section along line VIIVII in FIG. 8 with parts broken away, and in the upper part of the figure a section in a plane corresponding to line VII'VII' in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is a partial plan view in section along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 shows a partial section along line IXIX in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a bottom plan view of a corner designated by arrow X in FIG. 4.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are elevation views with parts broken away of that same corner, but with the roof removed.

FIG. 13 is an elevation view partially in section, of the area shown by arrow XIII in FIG. 4.

FIG. 14 is a section view along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of the geometry of the extendable room.

I FIG. 16 is a plan view in section on a larger scale, of that area of the caravan shown by arrow XVI in FIG. 6.

In the various figures, the same reference numerals pertain to similar elements.

As shown diagrammatically in FIGS. I to 6, the caravan according to the invention comprises a bearing framework which is mounted on wheels 7, which is comprised of a base frame 1, four upright angle-posts 2 which are attached to the frame 1 and a roof 3 which is attached to the angle-posts 2. A caravan floor 27 is connected to the frame 1.

On the periphery of the base frame 1 is attached a lower stringer 5 while on the periphery of the roof 3 is attached an upper stringer 6.

Between the stringers 5 and 6 and attached thereto extend uprights 8 which are spaced according to a particular module or a multiple thereof, a first upright 8 being associated to each one of the vertical edges of the comer angle-posts 2.

The uprights 8 bound by pairs together with those portions of the stringers 5, 6 that extend between said uprights, openings 9 which are filled by various elements of sidewalls 10 which are attached along the uprights 8 and which form solid wall panels, glazed walls and openable walls (doors or windows). By sidewall is meant any wall which is generally vertical, of the caravan. To those uprights 8 which are located on either side of each angle-post 2 are also attached finishing sections 14 for the caravan comers.

The caravan comprises at least one retractable room 11. Said retractable room 11, located between two succeeding uprights 8, is comprised mainly of a panel 12 which forms the roof and a rigid ceiling, which will be called hereinafter roof," and which is hinged about an horizontal axis that lies at the level of the upper stringer 6, a panel which forms a rigid floor 13, which will be called hereinafter floor" and which is hinged about an horizontal axis located at the level of the lower stringer 5, and a circumferential wall 15 which is made of flexible material. In the retracted position the roof 12 and the floor 13 are located in generally vertical planes, the plane of the roof 12 being substantially the same as the plane of those sidewall elements which are arranged on the same side of the caravan, while the floor 13 is located somewhat outside the caravan.

The above preliminary description calls upon characteristics of a caravan which has been described in Belgian Pat. No. 7l7,536. There will now be described with more details the structure of a retractable room 11 as well as of the uprights 8, which structure is different from the structure described in said Belgian patent.

In the caravan according to this invention, the flexible circumferential wall 15 of the retractable room 11, which is made for example of waterproofed canvas which is padded inside with a layer of insulating material such as synthetic wool, is permanently attached as described further below, on the one hand to that pair of uprights 8 which bound the opening 9 of the room 11 and on the other hand to three projecting edges, in extended position l6, 17, 18 and 19, 20, 21 respectively of the roof l2 and of the floor 13 of the room 1 l. A pair of columns 22 is removably fitted to the comers 25 of the roof 12, after extending the roof 12 (FIG. 3) from the retracted position thereof (FIG. 1). At the bottom thereof the columns are provided with a vertical adjusting device 23 and with a cradle 24 in which is engaged the corresponding corner 26 of the floor 13. The canvas 15 which is evenly stretched over the whole periphery of the room 11 in the extended position of the roof 12 and the floor 13, is folded up inside a housing 28 provided between the floor l3 and the roof 12 in the retracted position of the room 11.

There will now be further described the structure of the hinging areas of the roof 12 and the floor 13 of the retractable room 11 by reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

The upper stringer 6 is comprised of a T-section the head of which is attached by rivets to the roof 3, said head being lengthened outwards of the caravan by an angle-bar 6' directed upwards and which supports on the one hand the fixed part of an hinge 29 which is riveted as in 30, and on the other hand an horizontal section 31 which is riveted as in 32, which horizontal section 31 is provided with a recess 33 to receive a circumferential tongue 38 of the caravan roof 3 as well as a vertical piece 34 for protecting the hinge 29 against the weather. To the web of the T-shaped part of the stringer 6 is riveted as in 35, a section 36 to receive an horizontal jamb joint 37.

The roof 12 is comprised of an outside panel 39 of rigid plastic material with corrugations and of an inside panel 40 of rigid plastic material, which is covered with an insulating material 41 such as polyurethane foam; the panels 39, 40 are joined on the periphery thereof by a section such as a PVC section 42, which is cemented and to which is attached along the edge 43 of the roof 12, the fixed part 29 of the hinge 29. The section 42 is provided with a recess 45 opening towards the inside panel 40, which recess 45 is used along three edges 16, 17, 18 of the roof 12 to receive a head 46 which is attached to the top of the canvas 15.

The lower stringer 5 has a profile of Z-shape the lower flange 47 of which is directed outwards and it is provided at the locations of the uprights 8 with brackets which are riveted to said uprights 8 and which are provided with threaded holes for attaching the stringer by means of bolts 121 to the crossmembers 122 of the frame 1. The stringer upper flange 48 forms a framing for the caravan flooring 27. Against the Z-profile web are riveted the uprights 8 which have as shown in FIGS. 7 and 16, a generally I-shaped profile the inwards flange 50 of which bears a fin 51 which is located in the plane of the section web 52. Said fin 51 is provided with a triangular boss 53. The flange 54 which is directed towards the caravan outside, bearsa pair of fins 55 which form a V-shape, the ends of which are enlarged inwards to form beads 56. The geometry of the uprights 8 enables on the one hand to attach easily the elements of the sidewalls 10 and on the other hand,

to attach the caravan furniture. In the case of elements of solid sidewalls 10 which as shown in FIG. 16, are formed in the way described above regarding the roof 12 of the retractable room 11, by means of a rigid corrugated plastic material outside panel 57 and of a rigid plastic material inner panel 58 which is covered on that side directed towards the outer panel 57, with an insulating material layer 59, the outer panel 57 is riveted to the corresponding half 54 of the upright 8. A finishing section 60 is clipped to the fins 55 and the inner panel 58 is arranged against the flange 50 and it is wedged thereto by one of the raised edges 82 of a section 61 which is clipped tothe boss 53, with said edges 82 in parallel relationship with the flanges 50, 54 of the upright 8. The inner fin 51 of the uprights 8 is used as anchoring surface, by means of rivets or bolts in holes provided beforehand, for standardized furniture; in FIG. 16 has been shown a portion of a cupboard with sidewalls 62 in which are fixed shelves 63.

The floor 13 of the retractable room 11 is comprised of a double sheet of rigid plastic material 65, between which is arranged an insulating material 66, the sheets being joined on the floor circumference to form a flat area 67 which ends in a downturned edge 68. The canvas 15 is attached to the edge 68 by a flat section 69.

In two corners of the floor 13 which are located in the opened position of the room 11, adjacent the caravan flooring 27, the rigid plastic material upper sheet 65 of the floor 13, has a slight triangular drop 70 which is evened by the flat side 71 of a corner fitting 72 which is attached by means of bolts 73 to the edge 68. The fitting 72 bears a pivot 74 which extends in parallel relationship with the edge 75 of the floor 13, which is itself in parallel relationship with the flanges 50, 54 of those uprights 8 which bound the opening of the extension room 11. To the flange 58 of the lower stringer is attached on either side of the opening, a part 76 with a pair of lugs 77 which are connected by a pivot shaft 78 which is substantially the same as, or is adjacent to, the plane that goes through the raised edges 82 of the sections 61 which are clipped on those uprights 8 which bound the opening of the retractable room 11. On the pivots 74 and 78 is mounted a link 79 which has on the side of the pivot 74, an end face 80 which in the opened position of the floor 13, is substantially vertical. An end face 80 is arranged adjacent the upward surface of a stop 81 which is attached to the corner fitting 72.

The flat section 69 for attaching the canvas 15 of the retractable room 11 does not extend beyond the corner fitting 72; the canvas 15 thus extends freely but without flapping between the end 83 of the flat section 69 and the upright 8 to which it is fixed by being wedged between on the one hand the edge 82 of the section 61 and that part thereof lying along the fin 51, and on the other hand, an angle-bar attached to the fin 51. Those uprights which bound the opening 16 of the room 11 are moreover devoid on the opening side, of the corresponding half of the flange 54; the inner flange 50 ends on the opening side in an U-shaped edge 85 which on the one hand supports the edge 82 of the section 61 and on the other hand, defines together with a projection 86 provided on the web 52 of the upright 8, a recess for a vertical jamb joint 87 which together with the horizontal jamb joint 37, forms an opening framing for the roof 12 of the retractable room 1 1.

To each one of the corners of the roof 12 of the retractable room 11 (FIGS. 3 and to 12), is riveted a fitting 88 that bears an U-section 89 the web of which is provided with a rectangular stud hole 90. Through each one of the stud holes 90 may enter the circular flat head 91 which is formed on the upper part of a plate 92 which is attached to the top of a square tube 93, the head lying over a narrowed area 94 which is narrower that the width of the stud hole 90. The tube 93 extends vertically and it telescopes over a rod 94 to which is attached a foot 95. The tube 93 and the rod 94 form a supporting column 22 for the roof 12 of the retractable room. The tube 93 and the rod 94 are provided with ajoining device in a selected relative position as well as with a cradle 24 for sup porting the retractable floor 13. For this purpose, adjacent the lower end of the tube is attached a yoke 96 with an upward wall 97 the upper edge 98 of which forms a bearing for the area of flat border 67 of the floor 13 the edge 68 of which enters that space 99 which is defined by said upward wall 97 together with the opposite surface 100 of the tube 93. Between the surfaces 112 of the tube 93 which extend at right angle to the surface 100, is attached a shaft 101 on which is hinged a clip 102 with a first arm 103 projecting downwards relative to the yoke 96 and a second arm 104 which bears a finger 105. A spring 106 which is mounted on the shaft 101, tries to engage the arm 104 against the side 100 of the tube 93, the tube 93 is provided with a hole 107 which may be brought opposite any one of a series of holes 108 spaced vertically in the rod 94; the finger which can enter the holes 107, 108, will thus lock the rod 94 and the tube 93 in the required relative position. The finger 105 is provided inside the recess 99 in the yoke 96, with a head 116 adjacent to which lies the vertical edge 68 of the floor 12. The upward wall 97 has on the side thereof opposite the side facing the tube 93, a recess 109 which is formed by an U-section the legs 110 of which lie in horizontal planes and the bottom of which, that forms the recess bottom, is located in a plane in parallel relationship with the sides 112 of the tube 93. Through the flat border area 67 of the floor 13 passes a cylindrical rod 113 the upper part of which located inside the retractable room 11, is connected to a button head 114 which is provided with an inside locking, while the lower part thereof ends in a small horizontal plate 115 which is so located as to be able to enter the recess 109 where it locks the floor 13 relative to the yoke 96. There is simultaneously obtained a locking of the finger 105 in the selected holes of the tube 93 and the rod 94, in other words a locking of the vertical adjustment of the column 22 comprised of the tube 93 and the rod 94.

There will now be described the operations to be performed to retract the caravan room as well as the preferred dimensions for the roof l2 and the floor 13 of said room 11.

When starting from the extended position shown in FIGS. 4, 7, 8 and 10 to 13, the operator after unlocking the floor 13 by rotating the button 113, 114 so as to expel the small plate 115 from the recess 109, raises the floor 13 by folding back the canvas 15 about the edges 19, 20, 21 in such a way that the canvas remains inside.

Due to the compound hinges formed by the links 79 and the pivots 74, 78 as well as the stop 81, the first portion of the upwards movement of the floor corresponds to rotating of the floor and the link, locked by the stop 81, about the pivot 78, after which the operator swings the floor about the pivot 74 so as to bring the floor 13 in a vertical plane that passes through the axis of the pivot 74 which then lies inside the caravan, all this without those portions 75 of the canvas which are located between the uprights 8 and the end 83 attached to the floor 13, being subjected to strains.

That portion of the canvas 15 which extends between the edge 18 of the roof 12 and the edge 20 of the floor l3 and which forms the front side of the retractable room 11, is then folded back under the roof 12 while the side portions of the canvas 15 which extend between the edges 16 and 17 respectively of the roof 12 and the edges 19 and 20 respectively of the floor 13, are folded in triangular shape (FIG. 2).

FIG. 15 shows approximately the geometry of the retractable room 11 in this position. The rectangle ABFE corresponds substantially to the roof 12, while the dotted-line rectangle CGI-ID corresponds to the floor 13 before retracting thereof, the line AB being the rotating axis of the roof 12 and the line CD the rotating axis corresponding to the pivots 78, of the floor 13. AEC and BFD are the triangles formed by the canvas 15 before lowering the roof 12.

The operator then disconnects the columns 22 from the roof 12 by rotating said columns over 90, which makes it possible to pass the column heads 91 through the stud holes 90 of the fittings 88. He then lowers the roof 12 which swings about the axis of the hinge 29, and he folds back the canvas triangles (AEC, BFD) along the lines A], BK the points J and K being the middle points of the hypotenuse of said triangles, thus forming two new triangles AMC and BMD the apexes M and M of which are directed inwards in a plane IJKL, the points I and L being the middle points of the sides AC and DB, against the vertical surface of the floor 13, under that canvas portion which is attached to the edges 1'7, 18, 19 of the roof 12.

To obtain that in the retracted condition of the room 11, the canvas will be suitably stretched and that the canvas thickness will be minimized, that is that M and M will not be superposed, it is necessary that the canvas height between the roof l2 and the floor 13, in the extended condition of the room 11 (approximate distance EG) be very slightly more than the length (AE) of the roof i2 and that U be at the most equal to half AB, in other words that the length (AE) of the roof 12 be substantially equal to the width (AB) thereof.

It must be understood that the invention is in no way limited to the above embodiments and that many changes may be brought therein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

lclaim:

1. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, uprights, means to attach the uprights to the framework, a flooring, sidewall elements, means to attach said sidewall elements to said uprights, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means to swing the roof and the floor about axes in substantial parallel relationship with the caravan flooring plane, between an extended position and a retracted position, in which said roof extends in a downward plane and said floor extends in an upward plane; a flexible circumferential wall for the retractable room, means for attaching the flexible wall along edges which project in extended position, of the roof and the floor and along those uprights between which is arranged said retractable room, means for supporting the roof and the floor in extended position, and means to form between the roof and the floor in retracted position, a space for receiving said flexible circumferential wall which is folded together with the folding back of said roof and floor.

2. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, in which said retractable room rigid roof is shaped as a rectangular parallelogram, that dimension of which measured along one of those edges located in the extended position, in a plane generally at right angle to the opening plane, is not substantially larger and preferably at the most equal to the dimension of the opposite edges.

3. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, which comprises solid sidewall elements having a rigid outer panel and a rigid inner panel in parallel relationship thereto, said uprights having a generally l-shaped cross section flange, said flange having inner and outer flange members connected by a web, the web of which is located in a plane at right angle to the inner and outer panels, that I-flange located on the caravan outer side, the so-called outer flange, having clipping fins for an outer finishing section, the upward edges of said outer panel being arranged between said outer flange and said section, that I- flange located on the caravan inner side having a fin, the socalled inner fin, arranged in a plane in parallel relationship with said upright web, a boss on said inner fin for clipping thereto an inner finishing section with sides in parallel relationship with said inner flange, said inner panels having upward edges, the upward edges of said inner panels being arranged between said inner flange and said inner finishing section, furniture elements being attached to said inner fins.

d. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for supporting said retractable room rigid roof and floor comprise a pair of columns, means for removably attaching said columns to said roof outside of said flexible circumferential wall, a cradle for each column, means for attaching said cradles to the columns, means for adjusting vertically said column and cradles, and a shaped rim provided at least in those areas facing the column, of said retractable room floor so as to ente said cradles in the floor extended position.

5. Caravan as claimed in claim 4, which further comprises means for locking said shaped rim of said retractable room floor in said cradles, said means having a control head located inside said retractable room.

6. Caravan as claimed in claim 5, in which said locking means each comprise a housing projecting relative to a plane generally in parallel relationship with that plane in which lies the retractable room floor in the extended position, means for attaching said housing to the cradle, a rod rotatingly mounted in said retractable room floor and inside thereof, said rod projecting on either side of said floor, a head for rotating said rod, said head being arranged on that part of said rod which lies inside the room, and a small plate which is attached to that rod part which projects from the opposite roof side, so as to cause said plate to enter or to leave said housing during the rotating of the rod.

7. Caravan as claimed in claim 4, in which each column is comprised of a tube, means for removably attaching the tube top to the retractable room roof, a rod leg telescoped inside the tube base, means for attaching the cradle to said tube, a series of holes spaced vertically in said rod, at least one hole provided in said tube, a clamp hinged on said cradle, a finger fixed to the clamp and engageable in said tube hole and in any one of said rod holes, said finger having a surface located adjacent a surface provided by said shaped floor rim when said rim is located in said cradle, so as to lock said in-line holes of the tube and rod.

8. Caravan as claimed in claim 7, in which said cradle comprises a yoke, means for attaching said yoke to the tube circumferential wall, said yoke having an upward wall with a bearing edge for the retractable room floor and defining together with the tube circumferential wall, a space for receiving the shaped floor rim, said rim being located in a generally vertical plane in the extended position of said floor, substantially against said finger.

9. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means to join said floor and ceiling to the framework, spaced uprights arranged between said floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, said floor and said ceiling, sidewall elements, means for attaching said sidewall elements to the uprights so as to close some of said openings, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to said framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, a flexible circumferential wall for the retractable room, means for attaching said flexible circumferential wall along edges projecting in the room extended position, of the roof and the floor and along those uprights that bound the opening in which said retractable room is arranged, said means for hingedly attaching the retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed compound hinges, means for attaching the first hinge joint to the framework substantially in the extension of the attachment of the flexible circumferential wall to the upright, means for attaching the second hinge in parallel relationship with said first hinge joint to the retractable room rigid floor, the spacing between the roof hinging and said first hinge joint as well as the spacing between said first hinge joint and said second hinge joint being selected so as to form between said roof and floor in the room retracted position, a space for receiving the flexible circumferential wall which is folded together with the swinging back of said roof and floor.

10. Caravan as claimed in claim 9, in which the doublejointed hinges comprise a first pivot pin, means to attach said first pivot pin to the framework level with the caravan floor, adjacent the upright and substantially in extension of the junction of said flexible circumferential wall with said upright, in parallel relationship with the swinging axis of the retractable room roof, a second pivot pin in parallel relationship with the first pivot pin, means to attach said second pivot pin to the retractable room rigid floor, a link rotatably mounted on both said pivot pins, said link having on the side of that pivot pin which is attached to the retractable room floor, an end edge which is generally at right angle to the rigid floor plane in the extended position of said floor, said caravan further comprising for each link, a temporary locking part for said second joint, means for attaching said locking part to the retractable room rigid floor next to said second pivot pin, said locking part having an edge in general parallel relationship with said link edge, in the position where said link lies in the floor extended position.

11. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means for attaching said floor and ceiling to said framework, spaced uprights which are arranged between the floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, the floor and the ceiling, sidewall elements, means for attaching said sidewall elements to said uprights so as to close some of said openings, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to the framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, said means for hingedly attaching said retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed hinges, each hinge having a first pivot in parallel relationship with the swinging axis of said retractable room roof, said pivot being located level with the floor means for attaching said pivot to the framework adjacent to that upright which bounds the retractable room opening, and a second pivot in parallel relationship with said first pivot, means for attaching said second pivot to that edge generally at right angle to the opening plane of said retractable room floor, a flexible circumferential wall for said retractable room, means for attaching said flexible wall in stretched condition when the room is in extended position, on the one hand along those uprights which bound said retractable room opening in a plane which is generally coextensive with the plane of said first pivots of said double-jointed hinges, on the other hand along the edges of the retractable room rigid floor between the areas engaged by the hinges and further along the edges of the retractable room rigid ceiling, the spacing between the roof hinging and the first joint of said double-jointed hinges as well as the spacing between said first and second joints of said double-jointed hinges being selected so as to form between said roof and floor in the retracted position of said room, a space for receiving said flexible circumferential wall which is folded together with the folding back of said roof and floor.

12. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means for attaching said floor and ceiling to said framework, spaced uprights arranged between said floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, said floor and said ceiling, sidewall elements, said uprights having a generally l-shaped cross section flange with a web and inner and outer flanges, the web of which is located in a plane at right angle to the planes of said sidewall elements, that l-flange located on the caravan outer side, the so-called outer flange, having clipping fins for an outer finishing section, that l-flange located on the caravan inner side having at least one fin, the so-called inner fin, located in a plane in parallel relationship with the upright web, a boss on said inner fin for clipping thereto an inner finishing section with sides in parallel relationship with said inner flange, said sidewall elements being wedged along the upward edges thereof between the upright flanges and the finishing sections thereof, said caravan being provided with furniture elements attached to said inner fins, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, those uprights bounding the retractable room opening having a half outer flange only which extends on that side opposite said opening, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to the framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, said hinged attaching means for the retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed hinges, each bin e having a firstpivot located atfloor level in parallel relations 1p with the swinging axis of said retractable room roof and in a plane that passes substantially through said inner finishing section sides, a second pivot in parallel relationship with said first pivot, means for attaching said second pivot to that edge generally at right angle to the opening plane, of the retractable room floor, a flexible circumferential wall for said retractable room, means for attaching said flexible wall in stretched condition in the room extended position, on the one hand against those sides facing the opening of the inner finishing sections of the uprights bounding the retractable room opening, on the other hand along the edges of the retractable room rigid floor between the areas for the hinges, and further along the edges of the retractable room rigid roof. 

1. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, uprights, means to attach the uprights to the framework, a flooring, sidewall elements, means to attach said sidewall elements to said uprights, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means to swing the roof and the floor about axes in substantial parallel relationship with the caravan flooring plane, between an extended position and a retracted position, in which said roof extends in a downward plane and said floor extends in an upward plane; a flexible circumferential wall for the retractable room, means for attaching the flexible wall along edges which project in extended position, of the roof and the floor and along those uprights between which is arranged said retractable room, means for supporting the roof and the floor in extended position, and means to form between the roof and the floor in retracted position, a space for receiving said flexible circumfereNtial wall which is folded together with the folding back of said roof and floor.
 2. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, in which said retractable room rigid roof is shaped as a rectangular parallelogram, that dimension of which measured along one of those edges located in the extended position, in a plane generally at right angle to the opening plane, is not substantially larger and preferably at the most equal to the dimension of the opposite edges.
 3. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, which comprises solid sidewall elements having a rigid outer panel and a rigid inner panel in parallel relationship thereto, said uprights having a generally I-shaped cross section flange, said flange having inner and outer flange members connected by a web, the web of which is located in a plane at right angle to the inner and outer panels, that I-flange located on the caravan outer side, the so-called outer flange, having clipping fins for an outer finishing section, the upward edges of said outer panel being arranged between said outer flange and said section, that I-flange located on the caravan inner side having a fin, the so-called inner fin, arranged in a plane in parallel relationship with said upright web, a boss on said inner fin for clipping thereto an inner finishing section with sides in parallel relationship with said inner flange, said inner panels having upward edges, the upward edges of said inner panels being arranged between said inner flange and said inner finishing section, furniture elements being attached to said inner fins.
 4. Caravan as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for supporting said retractable room rigid roof and floor comprise a pair of columns, means for removably attaching said columns to said roof outside of said flexible circumferential wall, a cradle for each column, means for attaching said cradles to the columns, means for adjusting vertically said column and cradles, and a shaped rim provided at least in those areas facing the column, of said retractable room floor so as to enter said cradles in the floor extended position.
 5. Caravan as claimed in claim 4, which further comprises means for locking said shaped rim of said retractable room floor in said cradles, said means having a control head located inside said retractable room.
 6. Caravan as claimed in claim 5, in which said locking means each comprise a housing projecting relative to a plane generally in parallel relationship with that plane in which lies the retractable room floor in the extended position, means for attaching said housing to the cradle, a rod rotatingly mounted in said retractable room floor and inside thereof, said rod projecting on either side of said floor, a head for rotating said rod, said head being arranged on that part of said rod which lies inside the room, and a small plate which is attached to that rod part which projects from the opposite roof side, so as to cause said plate to enter or to leave said housing during the rotating of the rod.
 7. Caravan as claimed in claim 4, in which each column is comprised of a tube, means for removably attaching the tube top to the retractable room roof, a rod leg telescoped inside the tube base, means for attaching the cradle to said tube, a series of holes spaced vertically in said rod, at least one hole provided in said tube, a clamp hinged on said cradle, a finger fixed to the clamp and engageable in said tube hole and in any one of said rod holes, said finger having a surface located adjacent a surface provided by said shaped floor rim when said rim is located in said cradle, so as to lock said in-line holes of the tube and rod.
 8. Caravan as claimed in claim 7, in which said cradle comprises a yoke, means for attaching said yoke to the tube circumferential wall, said yoke having an upward wall with a bearing edge for the retractable room floor and defining together with the tube circumferential wall, a space for receiving the shaped floor rim, said rim being located in a generally vertical plane in the extended position of said floor, substantially against said finger.
 9. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means to join said floor and ceiling to the framework, spaced uprights arranged between said floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, said floor and said ceiling, sidewall elements, means for attaching said sidewall elements to the uprights so as to close some of said openings, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to said framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, a flexible circumferential wall for the retractable room, means for attaching said flexible circumferential wall along edges projecting in the room extended position, of the roof and the floor and along those uprights that bound the opening in which said retractable room is arranged, said means for hingedly attaching the retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed compound hinges, means for attaching the first hinge joint to the framework substantially in the extension of the attachment of the flexible circumferential wall to the upright, means for attaching the second hinge in parallel relationship with said first hinge joint to the retractable room rigid floor, the spacing between the roof hinging and said first hinge joint as well as the spacing between said first hinge joint and said second hinge joint being selected so as to form between said roof and floor in the room retracted position, a space for receiving the flexible circumferential wall which is folded together with the swinging back of said roof and floor.
 10. Caravan as claimed in claim 9, in which the double-jointed hinges comprise a first pivot pin, means to attach said first pivot pin to the framework level with the caravan floor, adjacent the upright and substantially in extension of the junction of said flexible circumferential wall with said upright, in parallel relationship with the swinging axis of the retractable room roof, a second pivot pin in parallel relationship with the first pivot pin, means to attach said second pivot pin to the retractable room rigid floor, a link rotatably mounted on both said pivot pins, said link having on the side of that pivot pin which is attached to the retractable room floor, an end edge which is generally at right angle to the rigid floor plane in the extended position of said floor, said caravan further comprising for each link, a temporary locking part for said second joint, means for attaching said locking part to the retractable room rigid floor next to said second pivot pin, said locking part having an edge in general parallel relationship with said link edge, in the position where said link lies in the floor extended position.
 11. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means for attaching said floor and ceiling to said framework, spaced uprights which are arranged between the floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, the floor and the ceiling, sidewall elements, means for attaching said sidewall elements to said uprights so as to close some of said openings, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to the framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, said means for hingedly attaching said retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed hinges, each hinge having a first pivot in parallel relationship with the swinging axis of said retractable room roof, said pivot being located level with the floor means for attaching said pivot to the framework adjacent to that upright which bounds the retractable room opening, aNd a second pivot in parallel relationship with said first pivot, means for attaching said second pivot to that edge generally at right angle to the opening plane of said retractable room floor, a flexible circumferential wall for said retractable room, means for attaching said flexible wall in stretched condition when the room is in extended position, on the one hand along those uprights which bound said retractable room opening in a plane which is generally coextensive with the plane of said first pivots of said double-jointed hinges, on the other hand along the edges of the retractable room rigid floor between the areas engaged by the hinges and further along the edges of the retractable room rigid ceiling, the spacing between the roof hinging and the first joint of said double-jointed hinges as well as the spacing between said first and second joints of said double-jointed hinges being selected so as to form between said roof and floor in the retracted position of said room, a space for receiving said flexible circumferential wall which is folded together with the folding back of said roof and floor.
 12. Caravan comprising a supporting framework, a floor, a ceiling, means for attaching said floor and ceiling to said framework, spaced uprights arranged between said floor and ceiling, said uprights defining openings between them, said floor and said ceiling, sidewall elements, said uprights having a generally I-shaped cross section flange with a web and inner and outer flanges, the web of which is located in a plane at right angle to the planes of said sidewall elements, that I-flange located on the caravan outer side, the so-called outer flange, having clipping fins for an outer finishing section, that I-flange located on the caravan inner side having at least one fin, the so-called inner fin, located in a plane in parallel relationship with the upright web, a boss on said inner fin for clipping thereto an inner finishing section with sides in parallel relationship with said inner flange, said sidewall elements being wedged along the upward edges thereof between the upright flanges and the finishing sections thereof, said caravan being provided with furniture elements attached to said inner fins, at least one retractable room arranged between two succeeding uprights, those uprights bounding the retractable room opening having a half outer flange only which extends on that side opposite said opening, said retractable room comprising a rigid roof and a rigid floor, means for hingedly attaching said rigid roof to the framework adjacent the opening top, means for hingedly attaching said rigid floor to the framework level with the caravan floor, said hinged attaching means for the retractable room floor comprising a pair of double-jointed hinges, each hinge having a first pivot located at floor level in parallel relationship with the swinging axis of said retractable room roof and in a plane that passes substantially through said inner finishing section sides, a second pivot in parallel relationship with said first pivot, means for attaching said second pivot to that edge generally at right angle to the opening plane, of the retractable room floor, a flexible circumferential wall for said retractable room, means for attaching said flexible wall in stretched condition in the room extended position, on the one hand against those sides facing the opening of the inner finishing sections of the uprights bounding the retractable room opening, on the other hand along the edges of the retractable room rigid floor between the areas for the hinges, and further along the edges of the retractable room rigid roof. 